Retired Thoroughbreds Traffic Chief and Butter, formally named Three Lions, graze in the fields. Both horses are part of Saratoga War Horse, a program for veterans.
(ERICA MILLER, emiller@saratogian.com)

SARATOGA SPRINGS -- A nation that sends young soldiers to war should find ways to treat their hidden emotional wounds upon returning home from the battlefield.

That's the premise behind Saratoga War Horse, a program that teaches veterans how to work through stress and trauma by connecting with former racehorses in a process called "Join-Up," based on the work of famed California horse whisperer Monty Roberts.

The first several dozen soldiers have already gone through a pilot phase, begun last November, and the project is preparing to take off on a national scale with full backing from the U.S. military, which has witnessed the project's amazing results firsthand.

"I felt like I connected with a part of me that had been shut off for a long time," U.S. Marine Cpl. Michael Abbatello said.

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Program co-founders Bob Nevins, a Vietnam veteran, and noted horsewoman Marilyn Lane -- both of Saratoga Springs -- spent several years laying the groundwork for the program. Nevins is extremely concerned about the high rate of suicide among soldiers coming home from Iraq and Afghanistan, a problem that plagued veterans of his generation as well.

"We're working with the government as a partner," he said. "They're looking for answers. They need something they can wrap their arms around. It's not just the military that sends these kids to war, it's the entire community. We want the public to realize that they are just as accountable for these soldiers as the military."

Saratoga War Horse is currently based at a small local farm. However, Nevins said the program needs a larger, year-round facility capable of handling at least 12 horses along with a barn, paddock, pasture and classroom space for veterans. Usually six at a time, soldiers typically spend three days first learning how to behave around horses followed by actual one-on-one encounters.

"It's like a light kind of goes on for you," said retired U.S. Army National Guard Major Mike Biss of Wilton, who served in Afghanistan. "You've been walking around in a negative situation. It's like a circuit breaker going off. You reset yourself out of a negative into a positive."

From early February to late April, Saratoga County Chamber of Commerce -- in an entirely separate initiative -- welcomed 190 National Guard veterans from across New York to Saratoga Springs for a weekend of fun and relaxation. Each soldier had served in Iraq or Afghanistan.

The respite program was patterned after one that brought New York police and firefighters to the Spa City shortly after the 2001 terrorist attacks.

Soldiers were treated to free lodging, meals and entertainment, courtesy of local businesses, with their families -- about 400 people in all. Details are still being worked out, but the chamber is working with Nevins and Lane to support Saratoga War Horse participants in a similar fashion.

"We're just creating the model here in Saratoga," Nevins said. "This will be the national center. The goal is to offer the program at sites all over the country. We really want to get onto active military bases, so we can intercept these soldiers before they leave the service. We want to work with the Army prior to individuals being discharged."

In addition to helping soldiers, Saratoga War Horse also gives retired racehorses meaningful second careers, a major issue confronting the thoroughbred industry. Just this week, officials from the renowned Adena Springs Retirement Program visited Saratoga Springs to meet with Nevins and Lane.

Adena Springs is owned by one of racing's most prominent figures, Frank Stronach, who owns Pimlico, Santa Anita and Gulfstream Park racetracks.

Eventually, the War Horse program could involve literally hundreds of former racehorses.

"We have world-class horses assisting world-class soldiers," Nevins said. "We have the soldiers saving the horses because without them these horses could fall through the cracks and wind up at the slaughter house. The same thing with the soldiers. If they're not coming out, getting the help that they need, they're falling through the cracks."